Souvanny Miller
About Souvanny
Souvanny Miller represents municipalities, special districts, and other public entities across the Pacific Northwest in a broad range of municipal and public law matters. She works closely with city managers, governing boards, and leadership teams to provide practical guidance on governance, public meetings and records laws, public contracting, First Amendment issues, regulatory compliance, and other operational matters affecting public agencies. Souvanny also advises on zoning, planning, and other land use issues, including reviewing staff reports, advising during hearings, and handling appeals to the Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA).
A significant part of Souvanny’s practice involves working directly with public entity leadership and elected officials to support effective decision-making and long-term planning. She regularly attends hearings and city council meetings, including executive sessions, and collaborates with agency leadership to streamline internal processes, develop policies and municipal code provisions, and ensure compliance with state and federal requirements, including those related to public funding and FEMA floodplain regulations.
Souvanny maintains an active litigation practice and represents public bodies in disputes involving land use, governance, contracts, and other public law issues. She guides clients through administrative proceedings as well as litigation in state and federal courts. Souvanny is also a valued member of the condemnation team, as she plays a vital role in assisting clients with eminent domain, inverse condemnation, and regulatory takings.
Earlier in her career, Souvanny advised educational institutions on the development and implementation of Title IX policies and served as a judicial extern for the Honorable Michael H. Simon at the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon. Across her practice, she is committed to helping public sector clients navigate complex legal and regulatory environments with practical, solutions-oriented counsel.
Representative Experience
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Municipal Advice Plus
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Serve as city attorney for a Pacific Northwest municipality, providing day-to-day legal counsel on governance, land use, and regulatory matters, and advising elected officials during hearings, public meetings, and executive sessions.
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Provide ongoing land use counsel to a municipal client, including advising on zoning and planning matters.
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Litigation Plus
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Obtained summary judgment and limited judgment including attorney fees in a contract dispute, with the award totaling over $90,000.
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Land Use Plus
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Obtained favorable written opinion before the Oregon Court of Appeals in Currie v. Douglas Cnty., 308 Or App 235 (2020)
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Higher Education—Regulatory Compliance Plus
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Advised multiple community colleges with respect to federal funding (CARES Act) spending requirements.
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Assisted multiple universities in preparing Title IX sexual harassment policies.
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Public Contracting Plus
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Prepared standard forms for requests for proposals, invitations to bid, and requests for qualifications for municipalities.
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Prepared standard forms for requests for proposals, invitations to bid, and requests for qualifications for municipalities.
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Advise clients throughout RFP and bid processes including preparing addenda and addressing protests.
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Activities
- Oregon Women Lawyers, Member
- Jackson County Bar Association, Secretary, 2019
- Coos Bay Oregon Law Center/Central Oregon Legal Aid Services of Oregon, Expungement Clinic Pro Bono Attorney, 2022-present
- Southern Oregon Child and Family Council (Head Start), Board Member, 2018-2019
Recognition
- Selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® (Portland, OR)
- Education Law, 2026-present
- Labor and Employment Law—Management, 2024-present
- Selected for inclusion as an Oregon Super Lawyer—Rising Star, 2022-present
Insights from Souvanny
- “It’s a New Academic Year in Washington–Tips and Reminders for Applying Your Revised Title IX Policy,” Miller Nash Graham & Dunn, News You Can Use, coauthor (Sept. 2020)
- “Title IX—Yes, This is Really Happening Right Now. Key Considerations in Anticipation of the August 14 Effective Date.” Miller Nash Graham & Dunn, News You Can Use (June 2020)
- “Public Meetings Checklist for COVID-19 Emergency Period,” Miller Nash Graham & Dunn, News You Can Use (May 2020)
- “Managing Data Security and Privacy Issues with Remote Learning Technology,” Miller Nash Graham & Dunn, K-12 Education: News You Can Use (Apr. 2020)
- “Over-Drafting Oregon: The Case Against Groundwater Mining,” Lewis & Clark Law School, Environmental Law, comment, Vol. 47-2 (2017)
- “Who Wants to Be Legally Astute—Federal and State Legal Updates,” Miller Nash, Employment Law Seminar (Oct. 2023)
- “Recognizing and Responding to Unconscious Hiring Practices,” 2023 Spring Conference, Oregon School Personnel Association (May 2023)
- “Parental Rights - Basics and Beyond!” Confederation of Oregon School Administrators, 42nd Annual Oregon School Law Conference, copresenter (Dec. 2022)
- “Strategic Risk Management: Keeping the Trains Running on Time,” Miller Nash, Employment Law Seminar (Oct. 2022)
- “Hindsight is 20/20: Lessons From the Front Lines,” Oregon School Personnel Association, 2022 Fall Summit, copresenter (Oct. 2022)
- “Covering Your Bases: The First Amendment and Public Employee Speech,” Oregon School Personnel Association, Summer Conference (July 2022)
- “Examining the Unique Constellation of Wage & Hour Issues, Updates, and Audits,” Miller Nash, Employment Law Seminar (Dec. 2021)
- “Who’s the Boss? The Intersection of Parental Rights and School Authority,” Confederation of Oregon School Administrators, 41th Annual Oregon School Law Conference (Dec. 2021)
- “Documentation—How to Do It, How to Keep It, Who Gets to See It,” Confederation of Oregon School Administrators, 41th Annual Oregon School Law Conference (Dec. 2021)
- “Did the Curve Flatten on Performance Management? Managing Legal Risks in 2021-22,” Oregon School Personnel Association, 2021 Spring Conference (Apr. 2021)
- “A Toolbox for Handling Employee Expression in Difficult Times: Politics and Religion in the Workplace,” Miller Nash Graham & Dunn, Employment Law Seminar (Dec. 2020)
- “Reinforcing the Structure: Employee Mental Health and Mental Health Accommodations in Times of Enhanced Societal Pressures,” Miller Nash Graham & Dunn, Employment Law Seminar (Dec. 2020)
- “Student Mental Health Issues During COVID-19,” Confederation of Oregon School Administrators, 40th Annual Oregon School Law Conference (Dec. 2020)
- “FERPA, Data Privacy, and Remote Learning: Considerations in a Global Pandemic,” Confederation of Oregon School Administrators, 40th Annual Oregon School Law Conference (Dec. 2020)
